Hello

My Story

My love for fishing began with my grandfather. He had eight children, and fishing wasn't just a hobby for him; it was a way to provide food for the family. I have vivid memories of weekends with buckets of fish in my grandma's kitchen, where she'd spend hours cleaning and preparing them for delicious meals. Despite having many grandchildren, I was the only one he took on his fishing adventures.

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We'd spend Friday afternoons digging for worms in nearby fields, then head out early on weekends to fish for eel, plaice, or halibut. Whether by the river, on the beach, or in a boat, those early hours were magical. The quiet moments, the anticipation as the rod tip twitched, my granddad helping me reel in the catch – it was exhilarating, even at six years old, the first time he took me.

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I continued fishing through my youth, chasing bass and perch in local streams after school, or trying my luck with carp in the pond near my boarding school. When I became a parent, I took my daughter fishing in Spain, and on camping trips in the USA and Scandinavia. We even had a few friendly fishing competitions, which I often lost!

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It wasn't until I moved to Slovakia that I discovered fly fishing. The Netherlands didn't have the fast rivers and trout that make fly fishing so enticing. It only took a few casts in the Hornad river in Eastern Slovakia for me to catch the fly fishing bug. Fly fishing opened up a whole new world for me. Seeing experienced fly fishermen land incredible brown trout and rainbows in the same spot where I struggled with a lure made me realize what I was missing. I bought a simple #5 weight rod and reel, watched countless YouTube tutorials on knot tying, and had my first taste of success with a small rainbow that took my dry fly soon after.

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One of the beautiful things about fly fishing is its never-ending challenges. It's not just about being out in nature to catch a fish; there are so many layers to master. First, there's the art of casting. Just when you think you've got it down, you realize there's always room for improvement. Then, there's the choice of flies, leaders, and tippets – it's like a whole world of patterns and sizes. Understanding how these affect your fishing strategy takes time. Reading the river is another puzzle, and it's a tough lesson to learn that even with a perfect fly presentation, you won't catch anything if there are no fish around. Once you do find them, your approach becomes crucial in not scaring them away. Finally, there's the skill of keeping the fish on the line after a bite – it's an art in itself.

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For a beginner, these challenges might seem overwhelming. It takes years, if not a lifetime, to master all the facets of becoming a skilled fly fisher. But the beauty of it is that at every stage of your journey, you'll catch fish. Every successful catch, whether luck played a part or not, is a testament to your efforts.

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When I started fly fishing, I wished I had someone to guide me or a place where I could get good advice easily. Even though there's a lot of information online, I spent a long time learning and searching through YouTube video's, tutorials and e-books. I realized that a website focused specifically on this would have saved me a lot of time. That's why I made this website.

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Our aim is to give you step-by-step guides and helpful articles that will lead you through every part of your fly fishing journey. It doesn't matter if you're just starting out or if you're already experienced, we hope you'll find things that interest you. We cover topics like picking the right gear, learning different fly fishing techniques, choosing the best flies for what you want to do, approaching fish in a smart way, and finding the best clothes and accessories for you. We'll also have interviews with experts and links to what we think are the best online tutorials, videos, and books.

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We're not here to make a bunch of money. The things we have for sale are reasonably priced and fair. Also, every time you buy something, you're helping to support things that are important to all of us. We carefully pick and back projects that have a good history in fishing conservation and taking care of the environment. You can read about these projects on our website.

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We hope our website helps you, and we want to talk with you! We'd really like to hear your thoughts. Let us know if there's something you think we're missing, and share your ideas. We're thankful for any tips and advice you have. If you want to help with the projects we support, you're welcome to. Each project we sponsor will have a link and an explanation in the article.

We're looking forward to hearing from you, and...

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Tight lines!

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Ab Olde-Scheper